WASHINGTON National security leaker Chelsea Manning can get initial treatment for a gender-identity condition from the U.S. military, after defense officials initially said the Army didn't have the medical expertise needed to give Manning the best treatment. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel approved the Army's recommendation to keep the Army private in military custody and start a rudimentary level of gender treatment, a defense official said Thursday. The move follows the federal prisons bureau's rejection of the Army's request to accept her transfer from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to a civilian facility. Manning's treatment request was the first by a transgender military inmate, and it set up a dilemma for the Defense Department over how to treat a soldier for a diagnosed disorder without violating long-standing military policy. The initial gender treatments provided by the military could include allowing Manning to wear some female undergarments and also possibly provide some hormone treatments. The decision raises a number of questions about what level of treatment Manning will be able to get and at what point she would have to be transferred from the all-male prison to a female facility. In May, Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, had contended that civilian prisons were not as … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON National security leaker Chelsea Manning can get initial treatment for a gender-identity condition from the U.S. military, after defense officials initially said the Army didn't have the medical expertise needed to give Manning the best treatment. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel approved the Army's recommendation to keep the Army private in military custody and start a rudimentary level of gender treatment, a defense official said Thursday. The move follows the federal prisons bureau's rejection of the Army's request to accept her transfer from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to a civilian facility. Manning's treatment request was the first by a transgender military inmate, and it set up a dilemma for the Defense Department over how to treat a soldier for a diagnosed disorder without violating long-standing military policy. The initial gender treatments provided by the military could include allowing Manning to wear some female undergarments and also possibly provide some hormone treatments. The decision raises a number of questions about what level of treatment Manning will be able to get and at what point she would have to be transferred from the all-male prison to a female facility. In May, Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, had contended that civilian prisons were not as … Continue reading →

; FILE - In an Oct. 11, 2012, photograph, a basket of medical supplies await storage by King's Daughters Medical Center emergency room staff in Brookhaven, Miss. TORONTO Health Canada is warning consumers and health-care providers about a potential risk of serious and life-threatening cardiovascular problems linked to testosterone replacement therapy for men. Testosterone replacement products are used in men whose bodies dont make enough of the hormone, causing such effects as flagging libido, low energy, loss of muscle, mood swings and disturbed sleep. A recent Health Canada safety review found a growing body of evidence suggesting that the use of replacement testosterone may pose an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots in the lungs or legs, and heart rhythm irregularities. The federal department says testosterone replacement products should not be used in men for non-specific symptoms if lab tests have not confirmed a low testosterone level, nor should they be used in children under 18 nor in women. Men should advise their doctor of any history of cardiovascular disease or symptoms that might indicate such disease before using testosterone replacement therapy. The agency also says health providers should assess patients for cardiovascular disease risks before prescribing testosterone … Continue reading →